Planning commission opens review of broad Main Street zoning changes for commercial C‑2 and C‑3 zones

The Midway City Planning Commission voted to consider a city proposal to amend Section 16.05 of the municipal code, which governs the commercial C‑2 and C‑3 zones around Main Street, and opened a public hearing that had no public comment.

Michael, a planning staff member, told commissioners the changes are intended to align zoning with the Main Street chapter of the general plan and to make the downtown more walkable and visually consistent. The amendment would shift the boundary and character of the two commercial zones, increase most front setbacks, add required side and rear setbacks where none exist today, and require more on‑site landscaping and building articulation.

Key proposed changes described by staff include: increasing the C‑3 front setback minimum from 10 to 20 feet (keeping a 30‑foot maximum), allowing covered open‑air porches to be closer to the sidewalk while the primary foundation meets the 20‑foot standard, increasing the required buffer from commercial structures to adjacent residential zones from 15 to 30 feet, and adding mandatory side and rear setbacks to reduce 0‑lot‑line development.

In the C‑2 zone the draft would cap impervious surfaces at 70% of a lot (leaving roughly 30% landscaped) and limit the maximum building footprint via a floor‑area ratio (FAR) of 0.30 (staff described the FAR as a limit on the building footprint rather than an aggregate of multiple floors). Staff also said street‑facing facades would be required to have at least 30% fenestration (windows or door openings) to avoid blank walls, and that long street walls (greater than 40 feet) must step back in 10‑foot increments to add visual variety. Roof colors would be restricted to avoid vivid primary colors and rooftop equipment would be required to be screened.

Commissioners pressed staff on measurement details (for example, whether porch posts or finished walls are measured for setback), on which blocks and landmarks would fall within a proposed expanded C‑3 boundary, and on parking consequences for small lots. Staff acknowledged that many downtown parcels are narrow (a typical width of about 70 feet) and that larger setbacks could make single parcels difficult to develop without combining lots. Staff also said the planning commission’s role at this stage is to make a recommendation and that any formal zone boundary changes would require a separate rezoning public‑hearing process.

Several commissioners raised concerns that the combined effect of stricter design standards and setbacks could narrow the kinds of businesses able to survive on Main Street. One commissioner warned a future grocery or hardware store could be difficult to site within the proposed footprint and architecture; staff responded that legislative changes remain possible at city council if a different use is desired.

The commission voted to consider the code text amendment (motion by a commissioner; second recorded) and opened the public hearing. No members of the public signed on to speak, and the hearing was closed. The commission did not vote on final language; staff said revised code language and findings will be returned for additional review and a formal recommendation to the city council.

Next step: staff will refine the draft language and bring a revised code text amendment back to the planning commission for a recommendation, followed by the required public‑hearing rezoning process at the commission and council.